The Colour of Revenge
by DazzlingRuby101
Summary: Iki Hiyori is on her way to become an aspiring violinist, and is one of the best students of the Takamagahara Academy of Music. But things soon start to go wrong after the death of a colleague. Rumours spread, media erupts into chaos, and no one is safe. AU! Slight OOC...
1. Hellos and Goodbyes

**Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a Noragami fanfic! If you are reading this, please keep in mind that this is also my first attempt at writing a fanfiction. Hence, I apologise if there are any sort of grammatical errors...**

 **Also, the characters may seem a bit OOC (or perhaps a lot OOC), but I will try my best to pin down their personalities correctly. On with the story.**

 **Chapter 1: Hellos and Goodbyes:**

The young woman had her eyes closed as her bow swayed cross the strings softly and slowly, causing a gentle melody to fill the air. The audience, mesmerized by the music, had their eyes fixated on the brunette violinist on the stage. It was as if she was a magician, one who was capable of captivating people with her music. The audience watched in awe as her fingers moved from one string to another in perfect rhythm, the way the woman bobbed her head as she played. In fact, they were so much enthralled that they did not realize that the song was over until the host announced:

"And that was one of the brilliant masterpieces of yours truly, Miss Iki Hiyori!"

All the people stood up and the grand hall was filled with the sound of applause. Hiyori smiled widely at the positive reactions to her music and curtsied politely, before excusing herself off the stage.

As for the audience, the only thing on their minds was the beautiful composition. Of course, you could never expect anything less from a Takamagahara student. The Takamagahara Academy of Music was one of the best schools in the country, and its students were nothing less. A fine example was Iki Hiyori, a violinist who had already created seven compositions of her own, every one better than the previous.

Hiyori's smile dropped from her face the moment she entered backstage. She let out a sigh as she opened her violin case and placed her instrument inside it. Sure, she was extremely happy that people appreciated her works, but currently she was too tired to act cheerful or even smile. After all, she had woken up at five in the morning: practising, checking, re-checking, feeling anxious, thinking that she would soon experience a heart-fail, et cetera. That amount of stress was bound to make anyone tired.

Well, she guessed it was worth it. Music was her life, and the violin had been her favourite instrument ever since she was a child. Her parents had wanted her to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor, but it was her brother who encouraged her to be what she actually wanted. And now here she was: one of the top students of the Takamagahara Academy. Needless to say, her brother was number one on her Top-Ten-People-I-Love-The-Most list.

"Hiyori! There you are!"

The brunette jumped and almost dropped her violin case. Hiyori turned her head around in time to see her two friends, Ami and Yama, running towards her.

"Well done Hiyori," Ami said, panting a little due to the running, and she adjusted her glasses. "You were wonderful back there." She smiled. "It is such a wonder that your performance was scheduled on a Sunday. So, the Academy allowed us to visit you. If it was some other day, Miss Bishamon would have said no, or worse, she would have given us a lecture on attempting to bunk classes."

"Now there," Yama rolled her eyes. "Don't criticize that woman. She has done nothing but been kind to you. And Hiyori, congratulations! You managed to convince everyone that you were not behaving like a zombie this morning!"

"I was most certainly not behaving like a zombie, Yama-chan," Hiyori protested. "I was simply feeling sleepy because of waking up so early, and that was why I bumped into many things this morning."

"The girl is in denial," Ami muttered. "She apologised to the freaking refrigerator for colliding with it."

Hiyori pretended that she did not hear what the tomboyish girl said and decided to change the topic. "So, you both, how is that next project of yours going on? What are working on?"

Yama shrugged. "It's nothing much, actually. Kazuma-san did cut us some slack this time. It is just going to be a mash-up of some songs, preferably those of Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Nickelback, Adele, One Di-"

"No way!" Ami shrieked. "There is absolutely no way that you are going to include that in the goddamn list! Not gonna happen! Never!"

"But Ami, I like One Direction."

"But Yama," Ami imitated her. "I do _not_ like One Direction."

"Would the first four not be enough, by the way?" Hiyori asked. "After all, with them, you would get tons and tons of songs to choose from. I think it will be better if you two concentrate on that much only, and stop adding more and more to the list." She paused for a while. "Imagine Dragons and Taylor Swift?" Hiyori mused. "That's an interesting combination you've got. What made you choose them?"

"Oh, we just put together the singers and bands the two of us liked," Ami said. "Also, I really wanted to add Backstreet Boys to the list, but all thanks to a certain someone standing right here, I couldn't. Can you believe it? Yama had no idea who the Backstreet Boys were! Heck, she even mispronounced it as 'Black Sheep Boys'! And she does not even know about the Beatles!"

Hiyori turned her head slowly towards the girl with spectacles. "Yama-chan, I don't think I want to be your friend anymore. Are you even from this world?" she asked incredulously.

"It is not my fault if I have never heard of some certain music bands!" Yama protested.

"But Yama-chan, those two bands are legendary! How have you never stumbled across their names before?" Hiyori shook her head. "Okay, never mind. I guess that you are going to do the singing, and Ami-chan's going to play the guitar."

"But of course," Yama said dryly. "And Ami's boyfriend will do the male parts. If Ami will sing, she will probably cause an earthquake, something which we do not really need at the moment."

"Right," Ami added sarcastically. "And if Yama suddenly decides to play the guitar, she would cause everyone to go deaf with those horrible sounds she would make. In simple words, every person who hears her would be doomed."

Hiyori laughed lightly. Those two made a prefect duo, be it about music or comedy. They were totally opposite in nature, yet so compatible with each other. They were so perfect, that Hiyori often felt like the awkward third wheel in their friendship. But that was only natural, she deducted, for those two had known each other longer than they had known her.

She still remembered the first time she entered her allotted room in the girls' dormitory; she was greeted with the sight of two girls having a massive pillow fight. Hiyori chuckled at the memory and watched the two bicker with each other, until:

"Miss Iki Hiyori?"

Hiyori turned around at the sound of her name. Even Yama and Ami stopped mid-fight and and tilted their heads to see a young blond staring at them. Hiyori guessed him to be in his early teen ages, his hair was messy and his face wore a smile that would make any person's heart melt into some weird jelly-like substance.

His eyes, though, were a different story altogether. They betrayed all the sereneness his face held. The yellow-amber irises were guarded as they watched the group, as if the boy half-expected the three girls to turn into monsters and attack him.

Hiyori waved her hand slightly. "That's me," she said, before she mentally face-palmed. Obviously he would know that she was Iki Hiyori, which would be reason why he called out her name. He smiled even wider at the response, causing Hiyori to blush slightly. "What can I do for you?" she managed to ask, instead of shouting something stupid like 'Kawaii overload!' like a maniac.

"Miss Iki Hiyori," the boy said again. "I am a huge fan of yours and I have been waiting for the opportunity to meet you for ages. I somehow managed to sneak into the backstage," he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hope you don't mind, because I really wanted to meet you." He took out a notepad and a pen from his jacket pocket, as well as a smart-phone. "Can I have an autograph and also a selfie with you?" he asked hopefully.

Hiyori nodded her head. How could she even say no to a tone like that? She took the notepad and pen from him. She flipped the cover and asked, "What is your name?"

The boy tensed and did not reply for a few seconds. "Sekki," he replied at last.

Hiyori tried to write in her best handwriting that was possible at that time: _To my greatest fan, Sekki._ And she added her signature under the message before handing it back to the teenager.

"Thanks a lot," he grinned, before holding out the smart-phone. "And for the selfie, your friends can join too. That is, if they want to," he glanced at the other two girls, who had been standing quietly all the time.

Yama shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not. By the way, I'm Yama," she winked. "And the baka right beside me is Ami."

"You're the baka here," Ami muttered, before snatching the phone and holding it up. "Okay, everyone gather close, and make sure you smile. I ain't gonna click a pic again and again."

 _Click! Flash!_

Ami lowered her arm and handed the phone back to Sekki, who looked clearly satisfied with the photograph. "Now, as much as I hate to say this, we really need to get back, Hiyori. It has already been fifteen minutes since the end of your performance, and if we do not arrive at the Academy, who knows what Kazuma-san will do to us. He can be really scary when he's pissed."

Hiyori shuddered at the mental image of an angry Kazuma, but she raised an eyebrow. "Why would he be angry anyways? Didn't you take Bishamon-sama's permission before coming here?"

The duo exchanged nervous glances, before Yama laughed with embarrassment. "Well, we did not exactly inform her that we had a class with Kazuma-san today morning. So technically..."

"... We are bunking classes," Ami concluded. "And that's why we need to return, or else we will be dead before the sun sets."

Hiyori resisted the urge to smack the two of them. She looked at Sekki. "Sorry there, but thanks to those idiots, I have to get going. It was nice meeting you."

The blond smiled mysteriously, and Hiyori swore that his eyes looked cold for the fraction of a second. He nodded. "Ja ne, Miss. It was an honour to meet you." Hiyori waved her hand at him before following her friends who were already frantically running towards the exit, making sure that her violin case does not bump into other things.

He looked at the notepad and the phone in his hands. "What a foolish woman, falling for my act so easily," he scoffed. "Miss Iki Hiyori has yet to learn how the world works, and how giving your autograph to a random person who claims to be your fan can actually affect you, even if you are famous. But then again, there's no one who can resist my charms," he chuckled humourlessly and smirked. "Well,well, Tracksuit is going to be really pleased with me."

''''''''''''''

"Oh my gosh, did you see that kid? He was so damn kawaii! Ka-wa-ii!"

"Yes, yes, Yama," Ami grumbled as her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "We are not blind, you know. The boy was cute to look at, but I would really appreciate it if you stop screaming while I drive. It is very distracting, and I am already halfway to being deaf."

"But he was so adorable! And I would love to have kids who look like him in the future. Especially a girl! She would be so much cuter, and all boys would fawn over her, and then I would-"

"I hate to break it to you, Yama-chan," said Hiyori, whose eye was starting to twitch at the topic of conversation, from the passenger seat. "But you do not even have a boyfriend yet. And I would agree with Ami about being halfway to deaf."

"You do not have a boyfriend either!"

"At least I am not screaming about wanting to have kids who look like some random person I met for only a few minutes."

"He was your fan, not some random person!"

"Geez, that's not even the point. Besides, should you not be worrying about Kazuma-san at the moment?"

"What's wrong with-"

"Shut up!" Ami shouted. "Just shut up, for Heaven's sake, before I experience a freaking headache and make you two my punching-bags!"

Hiyori huffed slightly before leaning back into her seat. She closed her eyes and brooded. _I did not even know that I have fans. Sure, there are tons of people who appreciate my music, but to think that one of them would sneak into backstage just for the trouble of getting my autograph._ She smiled. _It's nice to know that people like that exist._ She remained in that position until:

"Well kids, we have officially arrived at kindergarten."

Hiyori opened her eyes and glanced at Ami. "Huh?"

"Obviously I mean the Academy, you moron," Ami glowered at her, her face pale. "And Kazuma-san is waiting for us at the gate. And he does not look as if he is happy."

''''''''''''''

Hiyori had no idea where Kazuma took her two friends as soon as they stepped out of the car. _Those two are dead,_ she let out a sigh as she knocked on the door to Bishamon-sama's office.

"Come inside!"

Hiyori opened the door and stepped into the room. The blonde woman aged twenty-three looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. "Well Hiyori, I see that you are back. How are you?"

"I am fine, Bishamon-sama," Hiyori replied. "The performance went well enough, if that is what you are worried about."

"Bah, you are too modest," Bishamon chuckled as she closed her book, her purple eyes twinkling. "Knowing you, your performance must have gone marvellously. I believe that even your friends would agree with me if they were here."

"Are they still alive?" Hiyori asked warily.

Bishamon laughed. "I would think so. I still remember how Kazuma busted into my room not long ago. I believe that they were missing out on their classes." She leaned forward, her hands below her chin. "I have something important to tell you, Hiyori."

"What is it?" the brunette tightened her grip on the handle of her violin case.

"Oh, it is nothing to be worried about," Bishamon assured her. "It's just that, we are holding a grand function next month. During that function, the headmasters and few of their extremely talented students of the other Takamagahara branches would be visiting us. I, as a fellow headmaster, would like to show them how brilliant our students. You are a really gifted musician, Hiyori, and I am counting on you."

Hiyori gasped. "The other branches, you say?" There were currently six other countries where there was a Takamagahara Academy, and all those Academies had achieved the top position in their respective countries. "Bishamon-sama, are you really sure about this? I mean, I am not that-"

"You will be fine, Hiyori," the blonde said. "And you have got around an entire month to practice." She took in a deep breath. "Whatever you do, make sure you do not feel inferior to the members of the Japan branch."

"The Japan branch?" Hiyori asked. She knew that the Takamagahara Academy had originated in Japan (if it was not obvious due to the name), making Japan's branch the oldest one.

"Let's just say that the Japan branch is tough competition. Not to dishearten or offend you, but Japan's students are probably the best ones out there. So, be careful around them."

"I will," Hiyori nodded. "There's no need-"

"BISHAMON-SAN!"

Hiyori jumped at the sounds of the shout and the slamming door. Bishamon stood up from her seat so fast that it was a wonder it did not fall back. "Aiha?" she asked incredulously. "What is the matter?"

Hiyori recognised the girl with long curly hair with a light-pinkish taint to it as another one of Bishamon's fellow students. Aiha was kneeling down, panting heavily for air and her shoulders shaking. The girl looked up, and Hiyori froze at the sight of her bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face. "It's Tsuguha," Aiha choked out. "She's dead!"

-o-o-o-

 **And that was the first chapter. Like it? Hate it? It might seem a bit boring at first, but it will get interesting later on, I assure you.**

 **Kudos!**


	2. Arrival of the Unexpected

**Hello everyone! Oh my gods, I got two reviews?! (I still have more views compared to the reviews, but I don't give a shit!) Thanks a lot to those who reviewed!**

 **Hikari: Congratulations (and thank you!) for being the very first reviewer! I am glad you like this fic!**

 **Skye: Uh, answering that question would be too much of a spoiler. Sorry..**

 **Disclaimer (I can't believe that I forgot it last time): I do not own Noragami and its characters. All of them belong to Adachitoka-san. However, I do own the plot of this story.**

 **And without much further ado, on with the story!**

 **Ch 2: Arrival of the Unexpected:**

A certain blond boy was tapping his foot impatiently against the floor. In the dimly lit room, the only thing he could see was the blue-eyed man on his revolving chair, who was currently examining the picture he had taken with the Iki girl. "Are you done yet?" he snapped.

The man looked up and smirked. "Well, well. Isn't my baby boy looking rather cute in this photograph?" Yukine narrowed his eyes at the stupid-sounding nickname. "Why don't you ever smile like that around me?"

"That is my professional charming smile, which no one can resist," the boy scoffed. "Why would I ever show it to you, except when I want to blackmail you? Besides, I am always too irritated around you to actually smile."

"How mean, Yukine," Yato rolled his eyes. "You hurt me. But back to serious things, I only asked you to take a picture with Iki Hiyori, not the others. I know that the brunette in middle is her, but the other two?"

"They are her friends," Yukine told him. "The one with glasses is called Aimi Tabata. And the tomboyish-looking one is Akira Yamashita. Hiyori calls them Ami-chan and Yama-chan."

"Are they Bishamon's students?"

"No, I am pretty sure it is Kazuma who teaches them."

"Well, you sure did your research, Yukine," Yato laughed slightly. "I have heard lots of praises about Iki Hiyori. There are even rumours that she is probably Bishamon's top student. I guess it is natural for her to be targeted."

"How exactly do you know that they are being targeted?" Yukine asked. "You better have some valid reason behind this, Tracksuit. Don't tell me that you made me get her autograph and picture just because you had one of your stupid intuitions."

Yato rolled his eyes. "I never said that all of them were being targeted. I am just talking about Bishamon's students in particular. Those two should be safe, considering that they are Kazuma's students. And no, I did not have an intuition, and also, my intuitions are not stupid. Most of the time," he added, noticing how Yukine raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, it is not an intuition. Then how exactly are you so sure of this?"

"I have my sources."

Yukine sighed. "I have a feeling that you won't tell me."

Yato grinned. "Damn right you are."

'''''''''''

If Hiyori remembered correctly, Tsuguha was only one year senior to her. She was respectable enough as a pianist. Hiyori had never been much acquainted with Tsuguha, but knew that she was the closest to Miss Bishamon and the best friend to Aiha. Maybe that was why her death affected those two the most.

Hiyori did not fail to notice the panicked look on Bishamon's face as she stood up abruptly. "What are you saying, Aiha? Is this some sort of a sick joke?" she asked, her voice wavering faintly, because all of them knew that nobody would pull a prank as great and misleading as that.

"Her body," Aiha continued while choking on her tears. "It's in the piano room."

She had to say no more. Hiyori was out of the door before Bishamon could even say anything. It felt as though she was running a marathon, her hair whipping past her face as she ran towards the piano room. She could distantly hear the footsteps of the other two persons behind her.

And when she did reach the fateful room, she had no idea whether she should sob or gape or scream in horror. In the midst of the tiny crowd, lay Tsuguha's dead body on the floor, a terrifying sight, to put it in a mildly exaggerated way. Her eyes were open, her mouth and hands were covered with blood. She had a few stains on her shirt and on her glasses.

"It happened just a few minutes ago," Aiha informed, having reached the spot where Hiyori was standing. "She was laughing at some joke she saw in her phone. But all of a sudden, she started to cough out blood. She tried to hide it from me, but I eventually found out when the coughing got much severe and blood spilled on the floor. I instantly rushed to her, but it was too late!" she started to wail. "How can I be so stupid, unable to notice anything? This is my entire fault! If I had found out sooner, then Tsuguha would have-"

"That is enough, Aiha," Bishamon snapped, making the two girls jump in shock. Hiyori had never seen Bishamon so upset before. "Stop blaming yourself for something you did not do, okay? Currently, we have more important matters to worry about. Have her parents been informed of this?"

Aiha nodded her head quickly. "Yes, they have."

Bishamon pursed her lips. "Okay. Good. Now-"

"Bisha! Bisha! The reporters are here!" cried the pink-haired woman running towards them. Hiyori immediately recognised her as Kofuku, one of the staff members at the Academy. "They won't leave no matter how much I ask them. They don't care for my threats at all! Instead, they just keep growing more and more in number." She paused and looked at Hiyori. "Ah, Hiyorin. Your father's out there too."

Hiyori blinked. "Otou-san?"

Bishamon, on the other hand, cursed beneath her breath. "What do you mean the reporters are here? How could the news have been leaked so quickly?" She took a deep breath. "Kofuku, get Daikoku to assist you. If the odds are with us, his glare will be able to scare them away." Kofuku nodded. "Oh and please, send Hiyori's father in, will you?"

'''''''''''

"Hiyori!" her father shouted as soon as he saw her. "Thank goodness you are safe! When I heard that a female student of Takamagahara had died, I rushed here immediately!" He dramatically heaved a sigh. "Ah well, at least I know now that is was not you."

Hiyori frowned slightly. So, the media did not know yet who exactly had died. But it was puzzling indeed. How could news have travelled so quickly, a mere fifteen minutes after Tsuguha's death? She highly doubted that somebody had leaked out the news, considering that very few people knew about the incident. Heck, she even doubted that Ami-chan and Yama-chan had heard about their colleague's death yet.

"Thanks, Otou-san," she said. "For rushing here, I mean. Um, by any chance, do you have any idea who leaked the news? After all, it's still early."

"Hmm?" Iki Takamasa blinked at her. "Well, there were a few on television who mentioned that they got an anonymous letter, and while they did deduce that this might have been a rumour, they talked about it in the news anyways." He shook his head. "People these days, they believe every rumour that they hear and make a big deal out of it. I panicked, though, because this is the news we are talking about," he shrugged.

Hiyori felt a smile tug at her lips as she nodded her head. She could not help but agree with what her father had said. If somebody sent those reporters a fake letter stating that Iki Hiyori had died, they would make that news go viral even without confirming it.

Her father gave her a long stare. "So, who was it that died?"

"Tsuguha."

He frowned and rubbed his neck. "I have never heard of her," he muttered.

Hiyori felt her lips twitching for the second time. "I bet you haven't." Her father had never been one for music, and had absolutely no taste. However, her brown eyes turned serious once again. "Otou-san, we are in need of your help," she held his hand and tugged him along.

The elder Iki frowned. "My help?" he asked while allowing himself to be pulled. "How exactly do you need my help?"

Hiyori stopped in front of the Horrifying Room. Takamasa turned his head to see what his daughter was looking at and his eyes grew wide. "In the name of Kamisama," he eyed Tsuguha's corpse. "What exactly happened to her? At such a young age, too!"

"That is how we need your help."

He frowned at her. "You want me to find out what happened to her? Now?" he asked. Hiyori nodded. "I see, then. Well, you can trust me." He sighed. "It would have been nice if your mother was here." A pause. "Shoot! I forgot to explain everything to her. She must be worried out of her mind at the mind. She will-"

"Ah, Iki-san."

Takamasa froze abruptly while fidgeting with his phone. It took him a few seconds to blink and regain his composure. "Ah, Bishamon-sama, and Kazuma-sama," he greeted. "I, um, would say that I am sorry for our loss, but as a doctor, I know that people do not like hearing that, so I would not say it."

Hiyori saw Bishamon force a smile onto her face. She was probably thinking: _You know, but you said it anyways._ "Thank you, Iki-san. It's such a grave time of adversity. Tsuguha was an amazing musician. Of course, so is your daughter."

Hiyori was feeling too down to act modest. "So, um, Otou-san. About what I asked you..."

"Ah, yes," Takamasa nodded. "But please allow me to call Sayuri first. She would kill me if I delay any further. And if you don't mind me asking, how exactly did she..." he trailed off. He did not have to complete, because everybody got the meaning.

"She coughed up blood. A lot," Hiyori said.

"Coughed up blood," her father repeated. "You mean haemoptysis." And then came the long awaited frown on his face. "But dear, there could be many causes for haemoptysis. It could be pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer, or something entirely different. Well, I will try my best, though. So, was anyone with her during the time _it_ happened?"

"Aiha," Kazuma said, adjusting his spectacles. "She is easy to notice, with long lightish-pink hair. However, she is in a weak state of mind at the moment, so please interrogate her after some time."

Takamasa nodded and walked off to call his wife.

Hiyori turned around to face the two teachers. "Ah, Miss Bishamon," she began carefully. "Are you alright?"

The purple-eyed woman stiffened. "I am fine," she said tersely, turned around and stormed away at a quick pace.

"Sorry about that. Veena too is in an unstable state of mind," Kazuma smiled apologetically at her. "I will go and talk to her." And with that, he was gone too.

Hiyori peeked into _the_ room once again. She saw that Aiha was still sobbing. The crowd had grown larger in size, with students whispering amongst themselves, probably wondering what had caused the girl's death. She noticed that Tsuguha's eyes had been closed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her father talking on the phone; and she could distantly hear Kofuku shouting that Tsuguha's family had arrived.

Hiyori had never felt so confused and completely at a loss before.

'''''''''''

"But Yato-san, why exactly are we going there right now?" the little boy with green eyes frowned up at him.

"Something came up," Yato replied vaguely as he ruffled the boy's already messy hair playfully. "Besides, it's nothing much, Ebisu. We would have visited them after a month anyways, so just think of this as an advanced visit."

"One month is too early for an advanced visit," Ebisu murmured. "Why won't you tell me what happened?"

Yato locked eyes with Yukine, who nodded his head. "One of Bishamonten's students has died," Yato told the kid.

Ebisu's eyes grew wide. "Died?" he asked. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"I think the more appropriate term would be 'murdered'," Yukine cut in.

Ebisu looked at him curiously while Yato shot the blond boy a dirty look. Yukine merely shrugged his shoulders. The blue-eyed man pursed his lips and fidgeted with his collars. "Yukine, we still do not know for sure whether she was murdered or not."

"You say that, but you know that it was a murder, don't you?" Yukine sent him a knowing look.

Yato stared out of the car window. "You are right. I know that it was a murder. I think that I even know who the culprit is," he closed his eyes. "But unfortunately, we have got no proof whatsoever. So my assumptions are practically useless."

"Is that why you are going there?" Ebisu asked. Yato blinked at him. "Well, I know that you and Bishamon-san are not on good terms. So, you visiting her just because her student died is out of the question. You are doing to investigate who the murderer is right? You want to make sure whether the one you have in mind is the actual culprit or not."

Yato blinked again, and this time Yukine blinked too. He snorted. "Well, Baby Ebi is sure smart for his age," he said, his yellow-amber eyes twinkling with mirth. "How old are you again?"

"I am six, but that does not mean that you can treat me like a kid!"

"Yes, Sir," Yukine mock-saluted. Ebisu rolled his eyes.

"We are almost there," the driver said. "We would reach the Takamagahara Academy in around fifteen minutes."

"Ah, that's good. I can't wait to see that Crazy Chick's face once we reach there," Yato smirked as he tied his scarf around his neck.

Yukine shot him a look. "I have absolutely no idea why you wear that raggedly old scarf. Honestly, just what are you thinking?"

"You just don't understand my amazing sense of fashion."

"Sense of fashion?" Yukine grumbled. "What sense of fashion are you talking about? Unless you are modelling about something that says 'piece of trash'."

"Yukine, my baby boy, you are sooo mean," Yato cried out like a little child.

"Pathetic," Yukine muttered, while Ebisu tried his best not to laugh.

-o-o-o-

 **And that's it. End of the second chapter. Like it? Hate it? Or perhaps it is 'okay, okay'? Please review!**

 **Kudos!**


	3. The Investigation Begins

**Hello everyone! Long time no see. I apologise for the delay. Thanks to those who reviewed, followed and favourited.**

 **Nipun Ankita02: Thank you, my friend! I see that you finally read my story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami and its characters. However, I truly wish I did…**

 **Without much ado, we have the next chappie!**

 **Ch 3: The Investigation Begins:**

"This is a rather tough case indeed," Iki Takamasa muttered.

"I am afraid that I do not know what you mean, Iki-san," Bishamon said patiently, but Hiyori could notice her left eye beginning to twitch.

"Otou-san," she said quickly, and her father raised an eyebrow at her. "It's just that Bishamon-san doesn't appreciate people who talk in riddles. So, it you be better if you just, um, get to the point," she trailed off. Bishamon still had her nonchalant face on, but Hiyori could feel the waves of gratitude coming from her.

 _That's good,_ she mentally smirked. _Perhaps now she would give me an even better grade. Nah. This is Bishamon-san we are talking about after all._

"You see," Takamasa shook his head. "There are many cases of haemoptysis where doctors are unable to find out the actual cause behind it. This is a fine example." He scratched his cheek. "She seems to be in a fine health, so some kind of an internal disease is out of the question. She might have been poisoned…" Bishamon gasped. "But again, that is impossible. The results would have been immediate if that were the case," Takamasa quickly said.

Silence ensued. Bishamon was stiff in her seat, Hiyori was biting her lip in anxiousness and her father was busy pondering over the cause.

 _Knock, knock!_

Takamasa jumped, startled at the knocking sound which had broken him out of his reverie. Bishamon cleared her throat. "Enter," she said.

The door opened to reveal Kazuma-san, with Aiha trailing behind him. Hiyori immediately noticed that Aiha's eyes were red and puffy from the crying. The poor girl, losing her best friend in such a horrifying way. "Veena. Iki-san," Kazuma greeted. "Hiyori-chan," he shot a slight smile at her while he closed the door behind him.

Takamasa nodded at them. "Perfect time, both of you. Aiha-san, there is something I need to ask about the young miss, if that is fine with you?" he said carefully.

Aiha was still in disbelief, but now she had regained her senses. She nodded stiffly. "You may, and I will try my best to answer."

"Thank you. So tell me, did Tsuguha take some sort of medicine? Any tablets? I heard from Miss Bishamon that you two were dorm-mates, so I figured that you may know."

Aiha nodded. "Yes, she did take medicine. Tsuguha has… _had_ bad eye-sight, so she took some tablets to improve that."

"I see. If you don't mind, may I have a look at those tablets? If they are still available, of course."

Aiha nodded once again. "Of course."

"I'll go get them," said Kazuma-san. "If I remember correctly, your dorm number is-"

"NO!" Aiha shouted. Kazuma jumped at her sudden outburst. The pinkette flushed. "I mean, I'll go get those tablets. There is no need for you to trouble yourself!" She smiled nervously. "So, um, later," she said as she ran out of Bishamon's office, most probably mortified to death.

Kazuma blinked. "What was that all about?"

"She is a young lady, Kazuma," Bishamon snorted. "Young ladies don't like random men barging into their rooms."

"I was not barging! Besides, I am not some random man either!"

"Uh, no offense Kazuma-san. But if I were in Aiha's position, I wouldn't have let you enter my dorm either," Hiyori said. Kazuma gawked at her.

"But Iki-san," Bishamon said. "What is the purpose for looking at her medicine?"

"Well, it could be possible that she might have taken the wrong tablets."

"Tsuguha's not so irresponsible," Hiyori said.

"It's not about being responsible or irresponsible, Hiyori. It's just that…" he trailed off. "Never mind."

Aiha barged into the room without knocking after two minutes. "Aiha!" Kazuma chided slightly. "You should have knocked."

"I'm sorry, I forgot that in my frenzy," she said, holding out the tablets. "Here, Iki-san. These are the ones she took regularly."

"I see," Takamasa said as he took the tablets and stared at them. "This might be-"

 _Bang!_ "BISHA!"

This time, everyone present in the room jumped. Hiyori felt as if her heart would break out of her ribs any moment. She shot a glare at Kofuku (who, of course, didn't notice it). "Geez," Kazuma huffed. "Why does nobody knock these days? I think I should start giving everyone compulsory mannerism classes." (Hiyori shuddered. Now _that_ was a very, very bad idea.)

Kofuku slammed the door behind her. Kazuma winced at the noise. "Bisha, there is something you need to know."

"Kofuku," Bishamon stood up scowling. "What are you doing here? You should be guarding the gates with Daikoku!"

"Daikoku is doing just fine by himself. Then again, I also got Kuraha to assist him, just in case." Bishamon looked a bit relieved at this. After all, old man Kuraha could be really scary when he wanted to be (but most of the time, he was just a cinnamon roll). "Bisha," Kofuku said once again. "You have a guest."

Kofuku's voice was not cheerful like always. Bishamon sensed this. "Is it Tsuguha's parents?"

Kofuku shook her head.

Bishamon narrowed her eyes. "More reporters, then? Kofuku, they don't count as guests. They are demons. No demons are allowed inside the campus."

"Bisha," Kofuku said with an urgent look in her eyes. "It's _him._ "

Hiyori had to raise an eyebrow at this. Maybe it was one of Bishamon-san's ex-boyfriends. No, if that were the case, he would have been too scared to confront Bishamon in such a tense situation.

"'Him' is a term that can be used in a very, very vast sense," Bishamon drawled. "I know many people of the male gender. Could you be a bit more precise, Kofuku?"

Kofuku bit her lip. "The representatives of the Japan branch," she finally said. "It seems that they have arrived."

'''''''''''

The atmosphere inside the room had gotten even worse. "They have arrived?!" Bishamon shouted. "What do you mean 'they have arrived'? Their visit was not due for a month!" She was breathing heavily.

"It appears that they have come here to give their condolences."

"Condolences?" Bishamon spat. "Condolences, my ass!"

"Veena," Kazuma put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't make such a fuss. Remember that there are also other people in this room."

Bishamon took a deep breath before calming herself. "Hiyori," she said.

Hiyori looked at her, startled. "Uh, yes?"

"Go and greet them. Kofuku will show you the way."

Hiyori's jaw dropped. "What? Me?"

"Yes, you," Bishamon snapped. "I am in no mood to confront them right now. But it would be rude of to just ignore them. So please Hiyori," she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry for creating such a scene everyone."

Hiyori nodded slowly. "Alright. If you want me to greet them, fine. I shall go right away."

"Well then, Hiyorin," Kofuku cheered, back to her playful mood. "Follow my lead," she laughed before skipping out of the room. Hiyori said goodbye to her father before following her.

"Um, Kofuku-san," she said once they were on the corridor. "I know where the gates are…" But the cheerful pinkette paid no attention to her and kept singing to herself.

"She can't hear you," a voice said near her ear.

"Eep!" Hiyori turned around. "Ami-chan," she breathed. "And Yama-chan, too. You startled me."

"She actually said 'eep'!" Yama was busy laughing.

Hiyori rolled her eyes. "Where did you two come from anyways?"

"We were eavesdropping on Bishamon-san's office for quite a few minutes," Ami said.

Hiyori's eye twitched. _She said that so proudly…_ "From which point did you hear?"

Her two friends shared a look. Ami cleared her throat. " _Condolences?"_ she said in a shrill voice. _"Condolences, my ass!"_

Hiyori had to laugh at that. "That was a horrible imitation you did there. Now, we should run. Or else we would have an angry Kofuku behind us."

"That's true. But hey, we heard about Tsuguha," Yama said.

"The entire Academy knows about it. You should see the piano room right now, it's so crowded and noisy," Ami shook her head.

Hiyori sighed before starting to run towards the gates, where she would meet the Japan branch's representatives. She could hear Ami and Yama following her. _Well, Otou-san,_ she thought. _I hope you find the cause soon enough._

'''''''''''

"So this is the Takamagahara Academy where Bishamonten teaches," Yukine said as he stared at the Academy's big red emblem engraved on the gates. "Do you think Bishamonten is going to deny us access and make us go away?"

"Not at all," Yao snickered. "Don't forget Yukine. We are here as representatives from a fellow Takamagahara Academy. Also, the media folks have already seen Ebisu and recognised him. Crazy Chick wouldn't dare to send us away. Of course, unless she wants a big commotion to be shown in the news."

"The Academy must be in a financial profit," Ebisu noted. "Just look at the fountains and garden. They look so attractive and are having well maintenance. Many people are handing out flyers outside the campus and I have heard that this Academy holds a music performance every weekend in which anybody can participate for free. And there they note the people which are musically talented and ask them to study in the Academy. They even offer discounts to the extremely talented ones."

"Ebisu," Yukine said. "You are very smart, but there are times when you need to stop acting like a grown-up man and behave as a kid."

"I know. Baby Ebi's even smarter than me! These kids grow up so fast!" Yato said.

"Yato," Yukine commented dryly. "Even a one-year-old baby is smarter than you."

"Yukine, you meanie!"

"Ahem."

The three males turned around. Yato raised an eyebrow. It had been three years since he had last seen Kofuku. She looked like her usual cheerful self, but that wasn't what surprised him. Behind her were trailing Iki Hiyori and her two best-friends. What were their names again? Ama and Yami? No: Yama and Ami.

"Bishamonten's not here?" he asked curiously.

"Bishamonten-san is currently exhausted and thus, would not be able to meet you and so she sent me in her place." Hiyori bowed. "Hajimemashite. I am Iki Hiyori."

"I know," Yato said. "The entire country knows who you are."

Hiyori tilted her head. "I see that Daikoku and Kuraha-san let you inside. That's quite an achievement."

"Well, we are the representatives of the Takamagahara Academy in Japan. They just couldn't keep us standing outside, could they?"

"Ah, about that-"

"It's the Kawaii Boy!" Ami shrieked.

"I believe he has a name. Sekki, right?" said Yama.

Beside Yato, Yukine paled. Yato turned to him with teary eyes. "Yukine, my baby boy! You honestly gave that as your name? You are so sweet!" he cried as he held him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Well, that was just because I couldn't think of any other name at that time," Yukine snapped. "Let go of me!"

"What's going on?" Ami whispered.

"How in the world am I supposed to know?" Yama whispered back.

 _Somebody needs a therapist,_ Hiyori thought.

"Well then, there you have them," Kofuku laughed. "The people from the Japan branch!"

"Hey, wait you two," Ami said. "You told us that your name was Sekki, but in reality you were from the Japan branch. So could it be that you were just observing Hiyori and making note of her talent? And you disguised yourself as a normal boy and snuck backstage to see how Hiyori would handle such a situation?"

Sekki – or Yukine – froze. "Well…" he wavered. "That is one way to put it…"

"You see," Ami huffed. "I had a feeling that they were surveying us."

"Getting back to the point," Hiyori cut in. "It's good to meet you, sir. I feel honoured to speak with the owner of the Takamagahara Academy of Japan."

Yato blinked at her. Behind him, Yukine snorted. "I'm not the owner," he said.

"Huh?"

"The owner is this boy right here," Yato pointed at Ebisu.

"NANI?!" Hiyori and her two friends exclaimed.

Yukine nodded his head. "That's true. This kid right here is the infamous Ebisu Jr. And by the way, I am Yukine and this idiot right here is Yato. It's nice to meet you too."

"This little kid is Ebisu?" Ami wondered.

"He is cute though," Yama commented.

Ebisu scowled. "Don't call me a little kid," he complained.

In the meantime, Hiyori narrowed her eyes at Yato. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Yato grinned. "Of course! You can ask me many things!"

"Just, what is that disgraceful thing around your neck?"

Yukine laughed out loud. Yato held his scarf protectively. "Hey, don't insult my fluffy-fluff scarf!"

Hiyori could just stare at him. _Fluffy-fluff?_

'''''''''''

"Iki-san, Kazuma said that you have the results ready."

"Indeed, Bishamon-san. I believe that I have found out the cause of Tsuguha's death."

-o-o-o-

 **And that is the end of the third chapter. So, what do you think? Please review everyone! It makes my day when someone reviews.**

 **Kudos!**


	4. The Past Resurfaces

**Hello everyone! Thanks to those who took the pain of reviewing! XD I get very happy when I see reviews. They inspire me to write quickly.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami! Though I seriously wish I did...**

 **And without much ado, we have the next chappie!**

 **Ch 4:The Past Resurfaces:**

"Crazy Chick," Yato nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Bishamon's eye started to twitch. "Dim-witted good-for-nothing bastard." Her tone was pleasant, but her eyes screamed murder. "How _nice_ of you to drop by in such a tedious situation."

Yato sniffed in a dramatic manner. "But of course. I never thought that you would seriously thank me for anything I did out of my care for you. Finally you realize it. I am surprised indeed!"

"I thought Yato-san hated Bishamonten?" Ebisu whispered.

"He is not being serious," Yukine rolled his eyes as he whispered back. "He is just trying to piss her off."

And it seemed like he was succeeding, because Yukine could feel a dangerous aura starting to emanate from Bishamon. She smiled tightly before turning her attention to Ebisu ( _Smart move,_ Yukine thought.) "Well Ebisu, it has been quite some time since I last met you. Are you doing well?"

"I'm fine," the six-year-old smiled in response. "Even though I am the owner of the Academy at such a young age, Yato-san helps me out in my duties often. And hence I do not encounter any problems most of the time. Despite how he looks, Yato-san is a very reliable person."

"I see," Bishamon forced a smile onto her face. Some feet behind her, Yato mumbled something like 'What do you mean by _how he looks_?'

"That boy sure uses some big words for his age," a voice came from behind.

Yukine turned around. The brunette girl was looking at the scene in front of her with curious eyes. _Iki Hiyori,_ he reminded himself. _The musical prodigy._ "Well, Ebisu is real smart for his age. That might have been the effect of becoming the owner of Takamagahara at such a young age."

Hiyori glanced at him. "I remember that his father died not more than a year back. It was all over the news. But they never knew what caused the Sr. Ebisu's death." She raised her eyebrow. "Then, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do _you_ know how he died? Or does any other person of the Japan branch know?"

Yukine stared at her. "I'm afraid not. The death of Ebisu Sr. was clouded in mystery. It's always the popular people who die such mysterious deaths."

Hiyori stiffened. "What exactly are you implying?"

Yukine realized what he had just said. "Oh no, I'm not saying that _you_ are going to die in the same way. I just meant… Ah, you know…" he trailed off, making unintelligible gestures with his hands. _The girl's smart,_ he mentally noted. _Seems like I have to watch my tongue around her._

"Hey, just why did you lie to me?"

"Hmm?" he asked absent-mindedly. "Oh, you mean about my name? Well, I guess that I just didn't want to take any chances of you recognising me. Actually, there was no way you could have ever recognised me beforehand," he shrugged. "I am pretty much invisible to media."

"Now that I think about it, I have heard of a few guardians helping Ebisu with his work. I assume you are one of those?" Hiyori asked.

"Yato is Ebisu's one and only guardian. I, on the other hand, am Yato's guardian."

That caused her to smile. "You're Yato's guardian?"

Yukine was tempted to smile back. "It's just like what Ebisu implied when he was talking to Bishamonten. You shouldn't judge a person by how he looks. Sure, Yato does prove to be efficient at times, but other than that, he is just a massive, silly dork."

"You two seem close."

He closed his eyes. "We are." Yukine tried to focus once again on Ebisu's and Bishamon's conversation.

"Kazuma will lead you to your living quarters. Unfortunately, I would not be able to accompany you because of a few problems. I hope you excuse this," Bishamon was saying. "I hope you like your rooms. Also, Kofuku will show you to the dining hall when the time for dinner arrives."

"Alright then," Ebisu nodded. "We'll meet at dinner."

Bishamon nodded as well. "Kazuma," she said once. Kazuma took a step forward. Yukine raised an eyebrow. Kazuma was there the whole time? He was so quiet that Yukine didn't even notice him.

Kazuma bowed to them. "Please follow me," he said as he started walking.

"Well, what are you waiting for, you two?" Yato grumbled. "Come on, my feet are starting to ache from standing for too long. It's a wonder that you are still working here Kazuma. I am starting to respect how you can handle that Crazy Chick-"

"But Yato-san, aren't we being rude?" Ebisu interrupted.

The black-haired man turned his head to raise an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about, Ebisu?"

"I mean, you told me about it in the car remember? You said that one of Bishamon's students had died. So, wouldn't it be rude if these people are in such a grievous mood, and we do nothing but go to our rooms and relax?"

"I'm afraid, Ebisu, you don't have to pay much attention to this," Bishamon said softly. "It's better if you just rest. This is our problem to deal with, not yours. And you're not being rude, just to make it clear."

"Bu-"

"She's right, Ebi," Yato interrupted. "It's none of our business. So let's just go, okay?"

Ebisu bit his lip before following him. Yukine sighed. _What a tense situation,_ he thought. _It's a wonder that Yato and Bishamon did not jump at each other's necks._ He noticed that Bishamon was sending glares at him. _So, she still remembers me… Ah well._ He glanced at Hiyori one last time before walking off.

'''''''''''

"Hiyori," Bishamon said once all three of them had went after Kazuma. "Stay away from Yato as much as you can."

Hiyori stared at her. "Stay away from him? Why?" she inquired. "Is he a serial killer or something?" she tried to joke.

"No," Bishamon replied and her eyes darkened. "At least, I don't think so. You should never judge a person by how he looks, Hiyori. But just remember this. Keep an eye on that guy whenever he is around you. He is not someone to be trusted."

 _You should never judge a person by how he looks. That's the third time I have heard this today._ "Alright," Hiyori said. "If that is what you wish, I'll do that." _But honestly,_ she thought. _Could Yato really not be trusted? I have no idea._

"Also," Bishamon continued. "Follow me," she said as she started walking.

Hiyori jogged to catch up with her. "Where are we going?"

"To my office," Bishamon replied curtly. "It seems like your father has finally figured something out. I decided that I would only hear the news with you. If I do it without you, I'll feel guilty." Hiyori had no idea why she said that.

"Otou-san," she said once she entered the office. "I heard that you've found something." Hiyori noticed that Aiha was sitting there as well. "Have you told her?"

Takamasa shook his head. "Not yet, but I was going to. You have perfect timing, Hiyori." He held up the packet of tablets. "It seems as if Miss Tsuguha had indeed taken the wrong tablets."

Bishamon blinked. "What nonsense! Tsuguha would never make such a stupid mistake like buying the wrong medicines."

"But she didn't buy the wrong medicines. No, I mean, she wasn't aware that she was buying the wrong medicine."

"What are you saying, Iki-san?" Bishamon frowned. "How can she buy the wrong medicine without buying the wrong medicine?"

"Do you see the name of the medicine? It's the same as the ones Miss Tsuguha always used to take. It seems that the wrong, similar-looking medicines were put into this packet by the pharmacist. This could have been deliberate or accidental. And if it was accidental, it would be a very serious mistake for the pharmacist."

Bishamon uttered a few colourful words beneath her breath. "How careless indeed! And that person has the nerve to call himself a pharmacist! Is that what pharmacists do? Kill others?"

"Bishamon-san, please calm down," Hiyori muttered while feeling irate herself. "Anger will do us no good in such a situation."

"Tsuguha has been taking medicines from that store for about two years now," Aiha's lip quivered. "The shopkeeper had never made a mistake like this before."

"Aiha!" Hiyori said suddenly. "You have visited that pharmacist's shop before, haven't you?"

Said girl nodded. "A few times, yes."

"Otou-san, please hand me the packet with the tablets. It seems like me and Aiha are going to have a little talk with this infamous pharmacist."

Takamasa nodded. "Take these reports with you," he said, handing her a few paper sheets along with the packet. "These are proof that he had given the wrong medicine. Make sure you interrogate him properly."

Bishamon scowled. "Wouldn't it be better if I went instead?"

The two younger girls shared a look. "Uh, no offense Bishamon-san," Aiha said carefully. "The thing is, you might strangle the pharmacist to death even before we have the opportunity to 'interrogate' him."

The blonde woman paused. "Fair enough," she nodded slowly. "Then, I guess I will just have to take my anger out by ripping some newspapers to shreds…"

'''''''''''

 _"_ _Papa! Papa!" the little green-eyes boy shouted. "Look what I drew!" Ebisu grinned toothily, holding up a picture with one hand and a crayon in the other._

 _His father chuckled as he took the picture from him. "Well, isn't my little Ebisu a talented artist? Keep practicing and you may become a famous artist one day! And also…" he faltered. "By the way Ebi, what exactly have you drawn?"_

 _Ebisu pouted. "It's a picture of you, Papa! You don't know your face?"_

 _Realisation dawned on his father's face. "Oh, I see." Then he quietly added under his breath, "I had no idea my face looked like a sweet-potato."_

 _"_ _Did you say something?"_

 _"_ _Nothing at all!" his father smiled. "You should keep making drawings like this. You'll get better and better as time passes."_

 _Ebisu looked down, flustered. "Really?" he mumbled. "As time passes, huh? How much time will that take, Papa?" All he got in return was silence. "Papa?" he looked up when he got no reply. Ebisu blinked. Why did everything around him suddenly turn dark? "Papa?" he asked again, fear creeping into his voice this time. "Where did you go?"_

 _"_ _Ebisu…"_

 _Ebisu perked up. "Papa!" he cried. Was his father trying to play with him? Ebisu had no idea. He ran in the direction from which the voice seemed to come from._

 _"_ _Pap…a…?" he faltered as he saw a immobile body on the ground. Black hair, black suit, tall figure. It was his father no doubt. Ebisu sucked in a sharp breath. "What's wrong?" he shouted as he knelt beside him._

 _Only then did he realise that he was surrounded in a red liquid. Blood..? The little boy's eyes widened._

 _"_ _Ebisu," his father whispered._

 _"_ _Y-yes?" he sobbed as tears began to well up in his eyes._

 _"_ _Tell… Tell Yato that… I'm sorry."_

 _"_ _No!" Ebisu shouted. "No, you can't leave me! This must be a joke! Wake up, Papa!" he shouted as he shook his motionless body vehemently. "You're not going to die, are ya? You're just acting! Tell me you're acting!" he cried as panic started to get hold of him._

 _"_ _He can't hear you."_

 _Ebisu looked up and through his watery eyes, he could make out the figure of a hooded figure. He had one of his hands raised. And in his hand, he was holding… A knife. A bloodied knife. Ebisu wanted to scream._

 _The man grinned maniacally as he etched closer. "Die, Ebisu."_

 _Ebisu sat there, paralysed in fear. He could just keep watching as the man kept coming closer._

 _"_ _Rest in peace, little Ebisu," the hooded figure whispered._

 _Die, little Ebisu…_

 _Die, Ebisu…_

 _Ebisu…_

'''''''''''

"Ebisu!"

The little boy jerked up from his bed and looked around frantically. "What? What?" he managed to ask in his nervous state.

Yukine looked at him worriedly. "You seemed to be having a nightmare, so I tried to wake you up. Are you alright?" he pointed to his forehead. "See? You're sweating."

Ebisu wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Indeed, he was sweating, there was no doubt. "I'm fine, Yukine. I just… I just had a nightmare," he finished lamely.

"I figured out that much," Yukine replied. "You seem to be having a lot of those lately."

Ebisu bit his lip and didn't reply. "Where's Yato-san?" he asked to change the topic.

Yukine made a face. "That Tracksuit? He is off on his part-time job as a stalker. That guy really gives me the creeps at times."

" _Stalker?_ "

"Relax, I'm kidding. He has just gone outside for a walk."

Ebisu glanced at him curiously. "I thought he was tired."

"Oh, you know Yato," Yukine shrugged. "That guy gets random bursts of energy out of nowhere."

'''''''''''

Hiyori was fuming on the inside. She was so going to give that pharmacist a piece of her mind. In fact, she was more tempted to inform the police. _No,_ she shook her head. _That would just mess things up._

She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Aiha to change out of her uniform. The evening breeze hit her face and made her hair fly about. _What's taking her so long?_ She thought mindlessly as she walked lazily around the Academy's lawn. _Maybe she-_

"Oomph!"

"Oi!"

Hiyori rubbed her now aching head as she stared at the black-haired guy she had just bumped her head with. " _Yato-san?_ What are you doing here?"

"Same as you," he muttered as he clutched his own head. "Takin' a walk. And drop the _san_ , will you? You make me sound like some old, married geezer. I don't even have a girlfriend yet."

Hiyori rolled her eyes at the unnecessary information. "Well then, _Yato._ "

"Where are you going?" he asked, gazing at her casual clothes and the purse she was clutching tightly in her hands. "I think you are going to murder that purse of yours."

Hiyori glanced down and pursed her lips. _Should I tell him?_ she wondered. _He already knows about the death_. _What's there to lose?_ And with that, she told him everything, from Tsuguha's death to the case of the infamous pharmacist.

Yato looked horrified once she had finished. "That's terrible! And you're going to meet this dude right now? Sheesh, I hope you tell him off nicely!" He kept quiet for a few seconds. "Wait, let me go with you."

Hiyori blinked. "What? Why?"

Yato looked at her with a strange twinkle in his eyes. "I have my own reasons. I may be able to help you with this case," he said.

Hiyori stared at him. _He's acting weird._ She shrugged. "Fine, then." _Bishamon-san did say to stay away from him, but there's a mystery about this Yato guy. I want to find out more about him and why Bishamon-san hates him so much. Besides, I won't be alone; Aiha will be there with me as well. And if Yato tries anything funny,_ she paused. _I can just try out my Jungle Savate on him._

And hence, she resumed tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Aiha to arrive.

-o-o-o-

 **And that's the end of the fourth chapter! What do you guys think? Please R &R!**

 **Kudos~!**


	5. Shards of Truth

**Hello everyone! Thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapter! And followed! And faved! Thank you!**

 **And before moving on to the next chapter, I would like to say that I will not post anything for the next few weeks, as I have my examinations! So, most probably, my next update will be after Feb 16... Sorry bout that.. ^_^**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami. The truth really does hurt...**

 **Ch 5: Shards of Truth:**

"Are you sure this is the right place, Aiha?" Hiyori inquired as she frowned. "If not, say so right away. I would to hate to shout at the wrong person."

Aiha nodded her head. "I'm as sure as I'll ever be." She cast a sideways glance at Yato. She hadn't expected him to accompany them. "So, um, Yato-sama," she addressed him formally (and somewhat awkwardly), having heard from Hiyori that he was from the Japan Takamagahara. "Are you sure that you're going to stay with us?"

At this, even Hiyori turned to look at the black-haired man, who simply grinned at the two in return, not bothering to say anything.

Hiyori narrowed her eyes. She didn't understand this Yato person at all! _At times I wonder what he is thinking,_ Hiyori mused as she stared at him. She had no idea why Bishamon-san hated him so much. She had briefly inquired Kazuma-san about it, because he knew Bishamon the best. But he had replied quite vaguely, saying that the two had an old enmity over some murder. _Murder…_

Yato was handsome, Hiyori would readily admit. But it was always the attractive men who turned out to be the most troublesome. And not to forget, he acted very immature for his age. Seems like Yukine-kun was right about this one. Hiyori mentally sighed. _Why would Bishamon-san hate this dork so much?_

Yato caught her stare and he arched an eyebrow at her. "Something on my face?"

"That scarf," Hiyori stated dryly. "Or fluffy-fluff, as you call it. Take it off. You look good with it, but you would look much better without it." She rolled her eyes. "It's even torn in places and looks so worn out."

Yato huffed. "Don't insult my fluffy-fluff. All of my fans are ready to die to have a scarf like this!"

Hiyori wanted to scoff, but Aiha decided to get back to the topic. "We're already at the desired place. What should we do now?"

Hiyori turned to raise an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that? Obviously we go and ask him the questions we have in mind."

Aiha bit her lip. "Of course, but try to refrain yourself from punching him. You can do that after we interrogate him. We don't want him to land up in the hospital before we get the chance to ask him anything."

Yato laughed. "It would be amazing if he doesn't faint right at the sight of you two. You look like you're ready to assassinate."

The two girls glanced at each other and shrugged. Both of them were wearing hoodies. Hiyori had her hood on so that nobody would recognise her, which effectively hid half of her faces. Though Aiha didn't need it, she had it on as well, as she claimed that the cold wind would make her ears ache.

"I'll go first," Aiha muttered as she walked up to the store.

The pharmacist looked at her and blinked. After a few seconds, he smiled and seemed to have recognised her. "Hello Miss," he said in a cheerful way. "Are you here to take the tablets for your friend?" Just hearing that made Hiyori seethe.

"I'm afraid sir," Aiha held up The Packet. "Tsuguha died earlier this morning. And I'm sorry to say but her cause of death was none other than these tablets of yours." She set the packet on the counter, scowling furiously. "These are the wrong medicines. I'm surprised how you can make such a grave mistake, sir."

The pharmacist looked surprised. And Hiyori had no idea if his shock was fake or genuine. As he took the packet with wide eyes, he managed to choke out, "This is impossible! Such a mistake! I can't believe it!"

"It's true," Yato said sharply. Hiyori looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to say anything. "Belive it or not, it's true. Take a look for yourself, and then you won't have any problem believing it at all."

The pharmacist tensed as he took a careful sniff of one of the tablets. He shook his head. "Are you perfectly sure that you brought these from our store?"

"I have the receipt right here with me," Aiha held out the paper for him to take. "Just have a look. Tsuguha bought these tablets just a week ago."

The pharmacist frowned as he read the receipt. "A week ago?" he inquired. "I wasn't here a week ago."

"Bullshit!" Hiyori shouted. Everybody jumped. "Do you seriously expect us to believe that? Then just from exactly did Tsuguha take those medicines? Your ghost?"

The pharmacist narrowed his eyes. "Young miss, I'm speaking the truth. I was out of station last week. I only returned two days ago. I had appointed a girl to take care of the shop in my place. She must have been the one to sell your friend that medicine." He pointed at a CCTV camera on the wall. "I have footage, just in case you don't believe me."

Hiyori's jaw dropped and she stared at him for a long time. "So, the one behind all this is just some random girl," she demanded. "You just appointed some random girl to take over your place? Did you even check if she had the qualities to meet the criteria?"

"Of course I did!" The pharmacist looked offended. "She had all the necessary qualifications. I had checked all her reports thoroughly."

Aiha pressed her hand to her forehead. "This is messed up," she moaned. "This is seriously messed up. What should we do now?"

"Just a minute, sir," Yato interrupted. Again, Hiyori turned to look at him with a surprised look. He had been so quiet all this time that Hiyori had totally forgotten that he was standing there, until he spoke. "If you don't mind, may I know what this girl looked like?"

"Certainly," the pharmacist nodded his head and squeezed his eyes shut for some time, trying to remember. "She was quite short, and had short, straight black hair. She also had eyes as dark her hair."

"And," Yato urged. "Did she give you her name? She must have."

"If memory serves correct, she told me to call her Chiki."

Hiyori blinked. "Cheeky?"

"Chiki," Yato repeated, making a sour face, as if he had tasted something bad. "I see. Thank you, sir." He looked at the two girls. "We should leave. There's nothing more for us to do here. Let's go."

Hiyori wanted to shout at him. _Just who gave you permission to decide when and where we have to go?_ But she realised that he was right. There was nothing they could do now. The pharmacist didn't sell Tsuguha the tablets, but some girl named Chiki did. In the end, Hiyori got to punch nobody (not that she minded).

"We're sorry for troubling you," Aiha said to the shopkeeper. "It's just that, we thought it was you."

"I get it," the pharmacist nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Hiyori closed her eyes. "Aiha, we should go." She looked up at the orange sky. One thing was sure for now. The person who sold the tablets was a girl named Chiki. But did she deliberately sell the wrong medicine? Did she want to murder Tsuguha? If yes, then for what reason? So many questions with no answer.

But for now, Hiyori only wanted to get back to the Academy without Bishmon noticing their absence. If Bishamon finds out that she took Yato along with them, well then, Tsuguha wouldn't be the only one to die that day.

'''''''''''

 _You..! It's your entire fault that she died!_

 _It's your fault!_

 _I'll never forgive you! Remember that!_

"Veena? Are you paying attention to what I'm saying?"

Bishamon blinked and shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry Kazuma. What were you saying?"

Kazuma looked at her sceptically. "The more important thing is what you were thinking about. You look worried over something." He paused. "Is all this about, you know…" he trailed off.

"You can say his name, you know?" Bishamon rolled her eyes. "I am not going to jump on you and break your neck if you do that," she said playfully, but Kazuma could note the graveness in her eyes. "It's not easy to forget the past."

"But Veena," Kazuma started carefully. "The past is in the past. Is it really worth remembering it again and again? Is it worth it to be kept reminded of the pain? Can't you just let it go?"

The blonde woman gave him a sharp stare, her eyes clearly saying: _Are you out of your mind?_ "Don't be silly Kazuma. Have you forgotten all that had happened in the past few years? You are seriously asking me to forget all that?" She closed her eyes. "Those scandals, those deaths, those conspiracies. One just cannot forget them. Especially if the one responsible for that is right in front of your eyes."

"Veena," Kazuma said worriedly. "We already know that Yato was not responsible for what had happened."

Bishamon nodded her head. "Maybe not directly," she listed. "But indirectly, it's quite possible."

"He couldn't have," the spectacled man muttered.

Bishamon could only smile ruefully in response.

'''''''''''

"And you just went along with her without even bothering to inform me?" Yukine fumed. "Just what were you thinking? Something bad could have happened!"

"I'm alright, Yukine," Yato rolled his eyes. "There's no need to fuss about this anymore. Besides, I wanted you to rest for some time. You shouldn't worry so much. Too much stress is bad for a kid of your age. You don't want grey hair to appear while you're still young, do you?"

"Don't change the topic!" the teenage boy snapped. "Are you going crazy Tracksuit? I know that we have watch over Iki Hiyori and all so that no harm comes to her, but you could've at least told me where you were going! If something had happened, you would've had at least _some_ back-up! Idiot!"

Yato rolled his eyes before he turned serious and pursed his lips. "I was right. _He_ was behind all this after all."

"Him?" Yukine raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"Yes. According to the man we questioned, the girl that sold the faulty medicine called herself Chiki."

"Chiki?" the blond blinked confusedly before his eyes widened in realisation. "You don't mean that girl, do you?" He shuddered. "She really gave me the creeps last time I saw her."

"Yes, I'm indeed talking about that girl," Yato said as he nodded gravely. "They are targeting Bishamon, just like I had suspected. But instead of attacking her directly, they are going so by targeting her students in her place."

"So that the pain she would feel would be even more devastating," Yukine made a face. "I see now. Tsuguha was one of Bishamon's personal and favourite students. He probably wanted to start off with an unimportant kill before moving on to the more popular ones. And right now, the person who is Bishamon's number one favourite is…" he trailed off.

Yato closed his eyes and said in a monotone. "None other than Iki Hiyori."

'''''''''''

Hiyori sighed as she walked, feeling the cool night air on her skin as she looked at the trees nearby. She had wanted to relax from all the anger she had been feeling and thus had asked Yato and Aiha to go back to the Academy while she took a leisurely stroll near the campus.

 _What a long day,_ she thought. _Quite unforgettable, if you ask me._ She smiled amusedly, though she didn't know why. They had no clues how Tsuguha had died. And now that Hiyori thought about it with a calm head, she wasn't really surprised. It had been less than twenty-four hours. Not everything can happen in a day. The secrets of the murder would unfold with time. Till then, they would have to wait.

"Ow!" Hiyori cried in surprise as she bumped with a stranger.

The man looked at her with the same amount of surprise in his eyes. Hiyori blinked. He had red eyes. Quite an unusual colour. Under normal circumstances, Hiyori would have panicked. But she was wearing contact lenses, and half of her face was covered by her hoodie. So she had no fear of getting recognised.

"I'm sorry," she muttered as she quickly looked down.

The man didn't reply, and when Hiyori looked at him curiously, he sent her a fleeting smile before walking away. Hiyori could only stare at his retreating figure in confusion. Had she been recognised? After standing still for a few moments, she shrugged her shoulders and resumed walking.

-o-o-o-

 **And this is the end! How was it? Please R &R! Until next time, then! **

**Kudos~!**


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